I found both Zhang et al. and Cervone's articles on Systems Development Life Cycle to be quite informative introductions to SDLC, if also serving different purposes.
Per the order in the syllabus, I read Zhang first, then Cervone, but I found it more helpful to go back to Zhang having read Cervone first. Cervone--for me, anyhow--was a more accessible, broad overview of SDLC and offered a clear idea to newcomers of what SDLC is. Zhang, meanwhile, was a more dense, tightly-focused argument for how to approach SDLC.
At first glance, the two articles are similar: while they differ in number of steps, they both emphasize the importance of planning and testing in the design process. That said, I found the juxtaposition of Cervone and Zhang interesting: Cervone explains SDLC solely from a business standpoint, while Zhang stresses the need to address human-computer interaction in any system--Cervone's approach is an illustration of just what Zhang criticizes: a business-only perspective, with scant, if any attention paid to the user.
Both articles have merit. Cervone's is a good introduction to the concept, while Zhang builds on it and argues for a specific focus. Zhang's emphasis on the user mirrors the message in several other courses I've taken thus far: the technology may have changed, but library science is indeed a service profession, and it is always important to keep the user in mind, whether you are conducting a reference interview, cataloging a material to be found, or designing a marketing strategy for your library. Know your audience, and serve them as best you can.
